How the Printing Press Changed the World

In the 15th century, Gutenberg invented the first printing press. What we'd think of today as a crude, simple invention sparked a revolution across first Europe, and then the world. The implications of being able to distribute the printed word, something we take for granted, had far-reaching and very long-lasting effects on the world.

Before the Printing Press

In Europe, books had to be written by hand. Given the amount of work and knowledge this required, books were usually only owned by the rich, or by large organizations such as the church.

Limiting Information

The biggest objections to the printing press came from the organizations in power. The scarcity of books and learning meant that these organizations controlled the flow of information, and held positions of power that would be threatened by the spread of knowledge.

The Immediate Effects

Once the printing press went into more common use, it meant that the rarity of books dropped off sharply. Not only did books become more common, and a mass produced industry, but their sale stimulated colleges, writers and created more markets for paper and binding that there had been previously.

Spreading Ripples

After the immediate spread of information, industry and technology, came the spread of ideas. The Renaissance could never have occurred without being able to print ideas and spread them in the form of papers, books and pamphlets.

Today

A variety of modern traditions and technologies were influenced by the printing press; newspapers, textbooks, mass market fiction, as well as email, blogs, bookstores and the Internet.